Gorbachev’s nighttime tale, with its warm, Richard Scarry—like illustrations, has an undeniably familiar feel to it: The demons of the night are sent packing by a loving parent. Nicky, tucked in among his four rabbit siblings, has a nightmare: Wolves are after him. First he believes he dreamed of a hundred wolves, but gentle queries from his mother make him reconsider his numbers. “A hundred wolves?” said Mother. “Are you sure?” She soothes him, but as soon as she douses the light, the wolves are back, wholesale, for each and every little rabbit. Their chorus of “Help!” sends her outside with a broom, where she vanquishes the wolf pack permanently, then promptly hops into bed with her children. Sweet dreams, and welcome to the family bed. (Picture book. 4-7)
Pub Date: April 15, 1998
ISBN: 1-55858-917-1
Page Count: 32
Publisher: NorthSouth
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 1998
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A wombat, American readers will learn, is an adorable round creature that looks something like a small, pointy-eared bear and likes to sleep. It also has enormous claws, a prodigious appetite, and an unshakable determination to get what it wants. This imperturbable specimen keeps a diary that keenly describes her daily excitements: “Monday. Morning: Slept. Afternoon: Slept. Evening: Ate grass. Scratched. Night: Ate grass. Slept.” When new neighbors move in and prove to be an excellent source of carrots, the diary’s list expands to reveal the lengths this wombat will go (“Chewed hole in door”) to ensure a steady stream of the treat. Whatley’s acrylic vignettes, arranged sequentially across the spreads, are set against a generous white background and provide the perfect counterpoint to French’s deadpan narration. The tortured outline of a garbage can says it all when paired with, “Banged on large metal object till carrots appeared.” The level of irony involved requires sophisticated readers, but they will laugh out loud at the wombat’s antics—and breathe sighs of relief that she’s not their neighbor. (Picture book. 5-7)
Pub Date: Aug. 18, 2003
ISBN: 0-618-38136-8
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Clarion Books
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2003
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Fun; kids should lap this up fur storytime.
Life as a cat can give one paws.
The angst-y feline narrator has quite a tale to tell, grumbling sardonically about how impurr-fect life is as an indoor-only cat; screeching about various daily woes, like “only” getting “nineteen hours of sleep” and why another cat’s sitting where it wants to; and making constant demands (“What does it take to get a little bowl service around here?”) All in all, this furry complainer seems to have a lot to yammer about. “Things would be different if I knew how to open a door,” it grumps. The cat’s whiny, self-centered personality is wittily conveyed, but its wry monologue also elicits sympathy; cat guardians might not consider how frustrating it might be for a pet to be permanently housebound. When the cat bemoans its fate to a squirrel through the window screen, the street-smart rodent offers perspective. Readers who’ve been owned by kitties will laugh knowingly at the protagonist’s shifty mental processes and comical shenanigans. The frenetic illustrations, with a limited palette of mostly browns, tans, and grays, gibe well with the humorous text. Innovative book design enhances the visual appeal, with text placement and white space focusing attention. Numerous spreads are set in panels for quick pacing; many words/phrases are set in various fonts for dramatic effect. Note the frayed ends on some letters in the title on the dust jacket. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Fun; kids should lap this up fur storytime. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Aug. 3, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-593-30213-2
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Random House Studio
Review Posted Online: June 15, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2021
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